Typographical composing and casting machine



E. H. ATKINS 1,804,489

TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSINQ AND CASTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 15, 1926 ZSheets-Sheet 1 Inve n75? May 12, 1931. E. H. ATKINS TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSING AND CASTI NG MACHINE 2- Sheets-Sheet 2 4 Filed. Jan. 13, 1926 STATS UNITE PATENT OFFICE EDGAR H. ATKINS, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR T0 MERGENTIiALER LINOTYIPE CO MPAIIY, A COBPORATTQN 013 NEW] YORK TYIPOGRAPl-IICAL COMPOSING AND CASTING MACHINE Application filed January 13, 1926. Serial N'o.'80,8'76.

This invention relates to typographical composing and casting machines, such as linotype machines of the general organlzation represented in U. S. LettersPatent to O. Mergenthaler, No.- 436,532, wherein circulating matrices are released from a magazine n the order in which their characters are to appear in print and then composed in line in an assembling elevator, the composed lme transferred through an intermediate channel into a vertically movable, first elevator, which presents it to a mold, the moldfilled with molten metal to form a slug or linotype against the matrices, and the latter thereafter elevated and returned through a distributing mechanism to the magazine from which they started. More particularly, it relates to that class of machines designed to handle matrices provided with two or more superposed characters and wherein the assembling elevator, intermediate channel and first elevator are each provided with two sets of supporting rails whereby the matrices may be composed and maintained at an upper or lower level or both, as desired, to locate the selected characters in operative position.

When it is desired to cast a slug from the lower characters of all the matrices of a composed line, as for a solid line of italics, it is the usual practice to assemble and maintain such matrices, not at the upper level, as would otherwise be required, but at the. lower level,

and then to arrest the first elevator'in a slightly raised position, so as to locate, the

selected characters opposite the mold slot, such an arrest of the elevator being ordinarily eifectedby a stop member or filler piece mounted on the vise fra-me'and adapted to be brought into action at the will of the operator. Similarly, in the use of headletter matrices, or matrices with characters above 14: pt., the same practice is followed, so as to effect the proper alignment of the matrix 7 characters with the mold slot. The foregoing practice has given rise to very serious objections, as it frequently happens that an operator, through oversight or carelessness, will send a line into the machine at the upper level while the elevator stop is in action. As a'result, the matrices will be improperly presented to the mold and probably cause a front squirt,damage to the parts, or both.

The present invention is intended to overcome the foregoing difliculties and contemplates a safety device whereby the assembling.

elevator is automatically locked against upward movement to prevent the delivery of a matrix line to the mold when said line is assembled at the upper level and the first elevator stop member is in active position. In the specific embodiment illustrated, the safety device comprises a pivoted lever arranged to engage theretractible rail of the assembling elevator when matrices are being composed at the upper level therein and which lever is normallyconnected to one end ofa'slidable rod, whose. opposite end is arranged to bank the first elevator stop member when the latter is inuse.

In the accompanying drawings, the invention has been shown merely in preferred form and by way of example and as applied to the specific kind of machine mentioned, but, ohviously, many changes-and variations may be made therein without departure from its spirit. It is, therefore, to be understood that the invention is not limited to any specific form or embodiment, except in so far as such limitations are defined in the claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. lis a fragmentary perspective view of the improved safety device and showing those arser a linotype machine with which it is associated;

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section through the casting mechanism, showing the first elevator in casting position and the mold about to engage, the matrices;

Fig. 3 is a detail horizontal section to show the'relation of the locking lever to the upper assembler, rail when the latter is retracted; nd a Fig. 4 is: a front elevation, partly in section and broken away, of the safety device and the associated parts.

The matrices X (herein shown as of the two-letter variety) are released from a maga- Zine and guidedin theusual way to the assembling elevator IA, wherein they are composed in" line and'sustained by one or both provided with a hinged flap G which is arof two sets of rails A A arranged one set above the other and adapted to support the matrices at different levels, the rails of the upper set being movable to and from operative position by appropriate hand levers A and those of the lower set being rigid or made integral with the side plates of the elevator proper (Figs. 1 and l). After the line is composed, the elevator is raised to the transfer level and the composed line shifted therefrom horizontally through the intermediate channel B and into the first elevator or transporter C wherein it is supported by rails C C the corresponding levelor levels. The first elevator then descends to locate the line in front of the casting mold 'D, which is immediately advanced from the rear into engagement therewith preparatory to the cast-- ing operation, it being noted (Fig. 2) that the mold D is formed in its front face with two superposed grooves D arranged to accommodate the lower al' ning ears of matrices standing at either lo in the elevator C. The construction and operation of these parts is well understood in the art and fully disclosed in the Rogers Reissue Patent No.

13,489, to which reference may be had if desired.

The first elevator C (Figs. 2 and 3) is further provided with two set screws C C, serving respectively to arrest the elevator in casting position and to depress and release the vise automatic E, which latter normally protrudes slightly above the vise frame F. In ordinary practice, when casting from lines assembled wholly at the lower level or partly at each level, the first elevator is allowed to descend to its lowermost position, as determined by the engagement of its set screw C with the top of the vise frame. However,

' for the reasons before stated, the machine is usually equipped with a stop member or filler piece G, pivoted to a block G on the vise frame, and which may be turned into action at will to arrest the elevator in a raised position when the line of matrices is assembled wholly at the lower level. This stop member is formed on one side with an ear piece G arranged for vertical alignment with the set screw C while on the opposite side it is ranged for vertical alignment with the set screw C and the vise automatic E. Vhen the stop member G is turned to active position, as shown in the several figures, the first elevator is arrested in its descent by the engagement of the set screw C with the ear piece G and at the same time the vise automatic is depressed by the engagement of the set screw 9* with the flap G all as well understood in the art. When the elevator is thus arrested in its descent, if any matrices happen to be standing at the upper level therein (as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2) their lower ears would fail to enter the aligning ber G is in use at the same time. To this end,

there is provided a lever J pivoted at its upper end to the intermediate channel B and formed near its lower end with a curved nose portion J and a lug J the-latter serving as an abutment for one end of a spring-pressed rod 5 slidably mounted upon the top of the vise frame F. The nose portion J (as shown) is arranged adjacent the end of the retractable rail A in position to be engaged by a small bent plate A carried thereby when said rail occupies its active position (Fig. 1) or to stand clear of said plate when the rail occupies its inactive position (Fig. The free end of the rod J (as shown by the full lines in Fig. 1. and the dotted lines in Fig. 3) is located so as to abut or bank against the piece G when the member Gr is in use. A stop pin 3, arranged to bear against a fixed block J in opposition to the spring .lf, serves to maintain the rod in proper position.

From the foregoing construction, it will be seen that, when the elevator rail A is in use and the stop member G out of use, the lever J will be rocked toward the left as the elevator A is raised and push the rod J encwise against tension of its spring J along the top of the vise frame F, the operation of the safety device being purely idle under such conditions. Similarly, when the stop member G is in use and the assembler rail A out of use or in its retracted position (Fig. 3), the lever J will stand clear of the bent plate A and permit the elevator A to be raised in the usual manner and, incidentally, without turbing the safety device. Composed lines with matrices standing at either or both levels are thus permitted to reach the casting position in the regular way. However, when both the stop member G and the elevator rail A are in use, which is the condition giving disrise to the objections before noted, the lever J is restrained against lateral displacement by the engagement of the ear piece G with the free end of the rod J and the elevator A is thus locked against upward movement by the nose portion J which contacts with the bent plate A on the elevator rail A. As a therein that will still be comprised within its scope. Generally speaking, the invention is not to be limited to any specific form or embodiment, except in so far as such limitations are specified in the claims.

Having thus described my invention, its construction and mode of operation, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. In a typographical composing and casting machine, the combination of anassembling elevator provided with a retractible rail for supporting composed matrices in an upper position therein, a stop member adjustable to active or inactive position to determine the level at which the composed matrices are presented to the mold, and a safety device operative in the active position of said stop member and elevator rail to engage the latter directly and lock the elevator.

2. In a typogra-phical'composing and casting machine, the combination of an assembling elevator provided with a retractible rail r for supporting composed matrices in an upper position therein, astop member adjustable to active or inactive position to. determine the level at which the composed matrices are presented to the mold, a rod arranged to engage the stop member when the latter is in active position. and a locking. interponent connected to the rod and operative in the active position of the elevator: rail toengage the latter directly and arrest the elevator in its line-forwarding movement.

3. In a typographical composing and casting machine, the combination of an assembling elevator provided with a retractible rail for supporting composed'matrices in an upper position therein, a stop member adjustable'to active or inactive position to determine the level at which the composed matrices are presented to the mold, a rod arranged to engage the stop member when the latter is in active position, and a pivoted locking lever connected to the rod and arranged to engage directly or stand clear, of said elevator rail during the upward movement of the elevator according'as the rail occupies its retracted or unretracted position. 7

4. vIn a linotype machine the combination of the vertically movable assembling elevator A provided with retractable rail A, the

first elevator C, the pivoted stop member G Erovided with the elevator arresting ear piece ing machine of the class including a matrix assembling elevator and embodying means capable of being set to cause assembling of matrices at relatively different levels in said assembling elevator, and means capable of beingset to present assembled matrices at relatively different levels to the casting mechanism, a safety device governed by the setting of both said means, including means to engage said first named means thereby to lock said matrix assembling elevator.

6. In a typographical composing and casting machine, the combination of an assem bling elevator wherein matrices may be composed in an upper or lower position, a device adj ustable'to active or inactive position to determine the level at which the composed matrices are presented to the mold, and means for automatically locking the elevator when matrices occupy the upper level therein and when said device, is in active position, said locking means being arranged adjacent the elevator when in its composing position so as toprevent enough upward movement of the elevator to cause displacement of the matrices when the locking means become operative.

7 In a typographical composing and casting machine, the combination of an assembling elevator wherein matrices may be composed in an upper or lower position, a device adjustable to active or inactive position to determine the level at which the composed matrices are presented to the mold, and means for automatically arresting the elevator in its upward movement by direct engagement therewith when matrices occupy the upper level therein and when said device is in active position, said arresting means being arranged adjacent the elevatorwhen in its composing position whereby the distance traveled by the elevator when arrested is so small as not to cause displacement of the matrices.

In testimonywhereof, I have afiixed my signature hereto.

' EDGAR H. ATKINS.

and a safety device comprising the pivoted lever J presenting the nose portion J arranged to engage directly or stand clear of the rail A during the upward movement of the elevator A, and the horizontal rod J slidably supported upon the vise frame F and arranged for direct engagement at its opposite ends with the ear piece G and the lever respectively.

5. In a typographical composing and cast- 

